Alabama

Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman addresses audience members before a screening of the documentary "Atticus v. The Architect" about his prosecution and imprisonment during the Netroots Nation conference in Atlanta, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017. Siegelman is maintaining his innocence just days after completing his 78-month sentence on public corruption charges. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman addresses audience members before a screening of the documentary "Atticus v. The Architect" about his prosecution and imprisonment during the Netroots Nation conference in Atlanta, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2017. Siegelman is maintaining his innocence just days after completing his 78-month sentence on public corruption charges. (AP Photo/David Goldman)(David Goldman)

Former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman said he had not seen the documentary about his criminal case in its entirety until Thursday.

"Atticus v. The Architect: The Political Assassination of Gov. Don Siegelman," includes interviews with more than 20 people.

The film, about two hours long, was directed and produced by Steve Wimberly, who was on hand for Thursday's screening at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta.

It opens with celebratory clips of what initially seemed Siegelman's narrow reelection win over Bob Riley in 2002. That later became a razor-thin loss, a result the documentary disputes. The film includes clips of a career peak, Siegelman addressing a huge crowd in front of the Capitol at his inauguration speech in 1999, and low points, clips of Siegelman in a prison yard.

"I thought he did a very good job," Siegelman, 71, said after the screening. "It's impossible to cover everything. He chose some of the most important aspects of the case, some of the players and most of their roles."

Among those interviewed are HealthSouth founder Richard Scrushy, former federal Judge U.W. Clemon, Montgomery attorney Tommy Gallion, former New York Attorney General Robert Abrams, VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor, former Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford, former Attorney General Troy King and Siegelman's adult children, Dana and Joseph.

As the title suggests, the film alleges that Republican political leaders and federal prosecutors conspired to derail Siegelman's career because of his prowess as a Democratic politician, described by Siegelman lawyer Vince Kilborn as "Clintonesque."

About 40 people attended Thursday's screening. Siegelman talked to the audience before and after the screening and answered questions.

The film takes aim at a number of high-profile Alabama Republicans, including Riley, former Attorney General Bill Pryor, Business Council of Alabama President Billy Canary and his wife, former U.S. Attorney Leura Canary.

The film asserts that former federal Judge Mark Fuller, who presided over Siegelman's trial, should have recused himself because of conflicts of interest. It includes the recording of a 911 call placed by Fuller's wife when he was arrested in a domestic dispute at an Atlanta hotel in 2014. Fuller later entered a plea deal and resigned.

The film targets national Republican strategist Karl Rove, accused of being the "architect" of a plan to sink Siegelman. Rove has denied any involvement in the Siegelman case.

The film suggests that Eric Holder, U.S. attorney general under President Obama, was compromised by his work for a law firm with ties to Rove.

Siegelman's lawyers raised some of the issues covered in the film during unsuccessful appeals of his case.

Siegelman was released from federal prison in February. A six-month period of home detention, during which Siegelman wore an ankle monitor, ended on Tuesday.

In 2006, a federal jury convicted Siegelman of bribery for giving Scrushy a place on a state hospital regulatory board in exchange for $500,000 in donations to a campaign to establish an education lottery. Siegelman was initially sentenced to 88 months in prison, but that was later shortened to 78 months.

Scrushy, who was also convicted, appears in the documentary and maintains that both he and the former governor were innocent. Scrushy, who has completed his prison sentence, said he was asked to give false testimony about Siegelman but refused.

As for Scrushy's spot on the hospital regulatory board, former Alabama Power CEO Elmer Harris appears in the film and says Scrushy, who had served on the same board under previous governors, did not want to remain on the board when Siegelman took office because of the time commitment it required.

Harris, who was chairman of Siegelman's transition team, said he asked Scrushy to reconsider, and said Scrushy agreed to stay on the board for one more year.

Abrams, the former New York attorney general, appears in the documentary and notes more than 100 former state attorneys general signed a letter raising questions about the Siegelman prosecution.

Edited at 7:41 a.m. on Aug. 11 to say that Karl Rove has denied any involvement in the Siegelman case.